Remember the dad who a few weeks ago threw his 7-year-old son off of a cruise ship in order to “toughen him up”? To refresh: On a beautiful sunny day in California after the boy acted up, the dad, Sloane Briles, 35, threw him in the water. He did jump in after him, but he was arrested anyway.

At the time, I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. He claimed they were just rough housing, and while it was a poor choice, I was more upset that the dad reportedly hit the boy than about the plunge into the ocean. And, like I said, he did jump in after him.

New evidence in the case, however, makes the whole thing even worse.

Turns out Briles had been drinking before the cruise. Yesterday, he was charged with child abuse, and authorities confirmed that he’d been drinking at the time of the incident. That’s where any benefit of the doubt I wanted to give ends.

Making parenting decisions regarding discipline is tough. While experts disagree as to the merits of spanking, most agree that if you’re going to spank, you should do it with a clear mind — not in anger, and most certainly not while you’re drunk. And this guy was doing a lot more than spanking.

I’m not completely opposed to people drinking in front of or around their children. My husband and I occasionally have wine or cocktails at dinner, but there’s also obviously a point at which you have to know when to say when, and if you don’t, that becomes a shaky platform for making poor parenting choices … and worse.

Earlier in the year, Briles had also been charged with public intoxication, so it’s not like it was just a one-time slip-up either. The guy seemingly has problems and needs help, but he doesn’t need to be around his children until he gets it.

His arraignment is scheduled for September 26, and if he’s convicted, he could face six years in prison. That’s steep, but no matter what the length of his stay is, it needs to be long enough for him to dry out and hopefully reevaluate the kind of father he wants to be.

Do you think six years would be too long for this man to serve for throwing his son off of the cruise ship?

Rescue teams pumped water from the hull of a Norwegian cruise ship that listed dangerously Friday, a day after a fire on board killed two crew and forced the evacuation of 260 other people, officials said.
Police Chief Jon Steven Hasseldal said the ship had been tilting at an angle of 21.7 degrees, which is over what is considered a critical line of 20 degrees.
Despite the list, a Dutch salvage team managed to place three pumps inside the vessel on Friday morning.
“At the moment it looks promising,” Hasseldal told reports at the dockside. “It’s still a serious situation … but now there is a bit more stability in the ship.”
A fire in the engine room of the MS Nordlys on Thursday morning caused the evacuation of the ship before it was due to arrive at Aalesund, 230 miles (375 kilometers) northwest of the capital of Oslo. All 207 passengers were evacuated safely into lifeboats or after it docked.
Two crew were found dead in the engine room while nine others were admitted to hospital, two of whom had serious injuries, including burns and smoke inhalation. Three rescue workers were treated for mild injuries from inhaling smoke.
Police said they suspected an explosion in the engine room but did not know what caused it.
“Nothing indicates sabotage or points to terror,” said Trygve Oedegaard, head of operations at the Aalesund police.
Thick black smoke billowed from the stern of the ship, operated by the Hurtigruten line, when it sailed into Aalesund. Police sealed off parts of the town as smoke engulfed nearby buildings.
Passengers said the evacuation was orderly and calm.
“It was a well-organized evacuation,” Danielle Passebois-Paya, a French tourist, said. “The crew did a really good job. Everything was calm and went smoothly. There was no panic.”

An intense fire in a cruise ship’s engine room killed two crewmen Thursday, injured nine others and forced more than 200 passengers to evacuate a popular cruise off Norway’s craggy western coast. Three rescue workers were hospitalized with minor injuries.
Police said they suspected an explosion in the engine room.
“Nothing indicates sabotage or points to terror,” said Trygve Oedegaard, head of operations at the Aalesund police. “But, of course, we have to investigate all options.”
Thick black smoke billowed from the stern of the boat, the MS Nordlys, of Norway’s Hurtigruten line even before it pulled into the dock at Aalesund, 230 miles (375 kilometres) northwest of the capital of Oslo. Police sealed off parts of the town as the smoke engulfed nearby buildings.
The ship’s emergency evacuation began after the fire started at 9 a.m. (0700 GMT), with more than 100 passengers piling into lifeboats in the frigid waters. The rest of the ship’s 207 passengers and 55 crew were evacuated at the dock at Aalesund.
Hurtigruten said all the passengers were unharmed but that nine crew members were admitted to Aalesund hospital, two with serious burns and smoke inhalation.
The chief of Aalesund’s fire department, Geir Thorsen, described the blaze as “big and intense.”
More than 12 hours after the fire began, Thorsen said they were in control of it, but the ship was taking in water and listing. Pumping operations were halted as the ship continued to tilt.
“Our main challenge now is the stability of the ship,” Thorsen said. Two units of firefighters specializing in offshore fires were involved in the operation.
Oedegaard said that three rescue workers who pumped water from the ship were lightly injured and treated for inhaling smoke fumes.
Passengers said the cruise ship, which was travelling north from the city of Bergen, had organized an orderly evacuation.
“We were sent up on deck and given our lifevests,” Danielle Passebois-Paya, a French tourist, told Norwegian daily Aftenposten. “It took only a few minutes after the alarm and we were in the lifeboats.”
“It was a well-organized evacuation,” she added. “The crew did a really good job. Everything was calm and went smoothly. There was no panic.”
Thorsen could not confirm reports that the ship’s fire-extinguishing system did not work, but said its electricity system was knocked out.
“There are no indications that the fire had spread to other rooms in the ship,” he said.

The MS Nordlys plies Norway’s western coast on the popular 1,500-mile (2,500-kilometre) cruise between the southwestern city of Bergen and the northern town of Kirkenes, high above the Arctic Circle near the Russian border. The route features spectacular fjords, mountains, islands and Arctic wildlife, and carries both tourists eager to see the scenery and locals and cargo from coastal cities and hamlets.

We have been closely following the saga of Charleston residents vs. Carnival Cruise Lines for the last few weeks now, as Charleston resident battle both Carnival, and their own government, trying to stop the expansion of the cruise business into their historic downtown pier. Developments this week seemed to dash any hopes that the standoff would end quickly.

On Tuesday, the City Council voted on, and passed, an ordinance regulating cruise ships that was proposed by Mayor Joe Riley. The purpose was to try to put an end to the nearly two-year debate about cruise ships’ place in Charleston’s tourism industry.

The ordinance was not widely accepted, being rejected by critics who contend that the ordinance, which outlines a public hearing process should the State Ports Authority want to accept more than 104 cruise ships a year, doesn’t go far enough because it does not spell out any penalties for non-compliance.

A stricter ordinance, which was drafted by The Historic Charleston Foundation, was never put up for a vote. The opposition consisted of more than a dozen residents urging the council to defer the mayor’s ordinance or also pass the foundation’s proposal.

The hope is that the new ordinance will put an end to the lawsuit that has been filed against Carnival, and sever people spoke out in favor of the it for that reason. But others, many from the port and regional business groups, who urged the city to pass the mayor’s ordinance and underscored the port’s importance to the local and state economy.

Those council members joining Riley in voting for his ordinance included Gary White, James Lewis, Robert Mitchell, Louis Waring, Aubry Alexander, Dean Riegel and Kathleen Wilson. Those voting to defer included Blake Hallman, Jimmy Gallant, William and Michael Seekings. Councilmen Tim Mallard and William Dudley Gregorie were absent for the vote.

Seekings said, “If we’re going to codify something, let’s make it real. Let’s make it right.” Gallant also urged council members to study the issue further. “Let’s get back to the table and show some love,” he said.
But Riley said the city’s credibility within the international shipping industry is at stake.

Primary Source: http://www.thesunnews.com/2011/09/14/2389109/charleston-cruise-proposal-approved.html

We have done a fair amount of reporting on the cruise industry on this blog, often trying to figure out whether the industry is doing well financially. What initially got us started thinking about this topic was a Marketwatch.com article that gave investors guidance to stay away from investing in cruise lines. Then there came report after report about new cruise ship orders by Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean, which seemed to suggest that the cruise giants are expanding to meet increasing demand. Needless to say, this left us confused. Now, a new article seems to suggest that the fates of cruise lines lay as much in the destination, as in the
San Diageo, CA once had a thriving cruise industry. Now, experts are saying that, after a downturn three years ago, the cruise industry in the city may not recover for another three to four years, in 2015. Part of the reason for the downturn is the extreme crime in Mexico, which is a top destination for those cruising out of San Diego. The country is currently undergoing a tough drug-war, which has claimed an estimated 28,000+ lives over the past 4 years. Also, the economic downturn has taken a heavy toll.
These two factors have meant fewer and fewer people cursing from the San Diego Port, despite a new $28 million cruise ship terminal which opened this year. Estimates put each cruise docking at the port at $2million in spending for the local economy. Considering 104 ships are set to call on San Diego this year that puts the total to about $200 million.
Port Commission Chairman, Scott Peters, says that he still thinks San Diego has a viable cruise business for years to come – saying:
“We wanted to know, do you fold the tent and go home,” said Christian. “Where we now feel confident is that we had an outside assessment telling us this is still a viable market, and we can see the time and energy that the Mexican government and cruise lines are investing on the Pacific market.
“Back in 1995 and 1996, we could have folded the tent, and we would have lost out on over half a billion dollars in economic impact.”
Still, there is a lot of work to do to get back to the 2008 peak, which saw 916,000 passengers in San Diego on 254 sailings. This year – the projected volume is 307,000 passengers on 104 sailings – a drop of 66%.

Primary Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/sep/12/recovery-of-cruise-industry-still-years-off/

About a month ago we reported that Cargill had recalled millions of pounds of meat as a result of a national salmonella scare. The massive recall involved more than 36 million pounds of meat, and was billed at the time as one of the largest foods recalls in U.S. history. The outbreak had sickened over 70 people nationwide, and killed one person. Now, the recall has been expanded after U.S. Department of Agriculture tests have confirmed additional cases of salmonella.

The new recall covers about 185,000 pounds of 85%-lean fresh ground turkey products. The affected products were produced at the same Springdale, Arkansas plant that was the source of the last outbreak. The new affected dates are from product runs on August 23, 24, 30 and 31.

Cargill issued a statement by President of Cargill’s turkey processing business, Steve Willardsen, saying:

“We go to great lengths to ensure the food we produce is safe each serving, every time, which makes the identification and reduction of naturally and randomly occurring bacteria so challenging and often frustrating. Our resolve to determine how best to reduce human health risks from these bacteria remains unwavering.”

According to Cargill, no sicknesses have been traced to the products from the latest recall. Production at the plant had been suspended after the first recall. Cargill says that production will be halted again, following this most recent recall. The company has said that retailers have been contacted so that they know exactly which ground turkey products have been affected by the recall. Consumers should look out for products sold under the HoneySuckle White, Kroger, and HEB brand names. Additionally, look for packages including Est. P-963 on the label. All the meat involved in the recall will have this on the label.

If you have an affected package of the meat, you can return the opened, or unopened, product to the place of purchase for a full refund. You can also contact Cargill Consumer Relations at 1-888-812-1646.

Primary Source: http://www.mainstreet.com/article/lifestyle/food-drink/massive-ground-turkey-recall-just-got-bigger

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. A lot has happened since those terrible events a decade ago. Much of it has happened in the public eye. We have fought 2 wars and been involved in other, smaller, conflicts. The American people have been subject to far more security at airports and in other public venues, than previously. We have all become too aware of names like Bin Laden, and Zarqawi.

One question that continues to come up is “are we safer now than we were 10 years ago?” This is a very tough question to answer. How do you know how safe you are when you do not knew the precise nature of the threat? Despite the security measures, the authorities insist that there are credible threats remaining to the U.S. by foreign terrorists.

This really underscores the whole issue. If we assume that terrorists’ primary goal is to sew terror – maybe we should ask “are we more afraid now than we were 10 years ago?” Our lives have definitely changed. But, we continue to face the same challenges today as before 9-11. In fact, due to current economic challenges, much of the focus has shifted from security from terrorists to security of work and social security.

The events of 9-11 should never be forgotten. They serve as a reminder that a few people, properly demented and determined, can inflict a very serious wound on a nation. But, despite the terrible loss of life, the events of that day never threatened to put an end to our democracy. It is hard to see how any amount of terrorism can do that.

What the events showed was not just that we were vulnerable, but that we also had, within us, a deep –seeded feeling of unity. Being Americans, we rallied together to support each other, and heal.

In many ways we are still in the woods. We are going through the worst economic crisis in more than 50 years. We have, once again, begun to fracture along ideological lines. Where we were once unified, we have begun to fray.

Let’s not let the lessons of 9-11 go in vain. The lessons we tend to focus on are regarding our physical safety and security. Those are extremely important, but they do not tell the whole story. Just as important are the lessons of community, resilience, and bravery. 10 years later, let’s see if we can properly honor those who lost their lives, and those most affected. The best way to do that is to live fearlessly, to live honorably, and to take care of each other.

In the wake of our report yesterday, that South Florida is preparing for the 10th anniversary of 9-11 with increased security, comes news that South Florida’s seaports are undergoing a permanent security upgrade. Because seaports are often large industrial-type complexes, protecting them from attack can be more difficult than at airports. Seaports are seen as being the same kind of high-value targets as airports, and they also serve as important routes by which smugglers move their contraband. Because of this vulnerability, port managers in South Florida, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Riviera Beach are reviewing security protocols and making some upgrades.

The basic methods of requiring all workers to wear ID badges and strictly reviewing shipping manifests form the backbone of current security procedures. That is not going to change any time soon. Glenn Wiltshire, deputy director of Port Everglades, says “They are rock-solid methods.”

The ports are also looking more and more to employ technology in their fight against terrorism and crime. Port Everglades is reportedly looking into upgrading its radiation monitors – which currently inspect all cargo. They are also considering installing so-called “smart” video cameras – which can monitor all docks, warehouses, and remote premises.
Cruise lines are also getting into the act. Currently, all cruise line passengers pass through metal detectors and have their baggage screened. Bomb sniffing dogs are also used at some local ports.

Despite the prevalence of technology, authorities seem to be convinced that the human element of security is most important. “We need individuals who will see something that happened at three in the morning and understand what it means. A camera cannot do that,” said Manuel Almira, executive director of the Port of Palm Beach. Seemingly taking into account the tremendous cost of modern technology – he added “We cannot allow ourselves to lapse into a lull. We must continue to be vigilant – but practical.

Would terrorists want to do harm to our beautiful, sunny, South Florida? In the days leading up to the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, top security authorities are not taking any chances. They are upping the security presence on the Metro-mover and Metro-rail, and increasing their presence at both the Miami International Airport and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. However, the questions remain – what would be a likely terrorist target in South Florida?

The answer to the question is not clear. The authorities are focusing on transportation hubs. In addition to the metro and airports, the port of Miami is also seeing heightened security. At the port several government agencies are conducting random searches of passenger vehicles. In addition, all commercial vehicles are being screened. The government has even brought out a large X-Ray machine, employed by the Department of Homeland Security to scan the insides of trucks and vans bringing goods to the port.

The security effort involves more than 100 law enforcement agencies and is based out of the Miami-Dade Unified Command Center. The purpose is to detect and deter attacks on high value targets in the Miami area as a result of the 10 year anniversary of the September 11 attack. Broward Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Mike Jachles said, “We’ve planned, we’ve prepared, we’ve trained together, so we can respond together.”

This brings back the original question – what would be a likely target in South Florida? Previous terrorist attacks against the U.S. have involved attacks on embassies, the Pentagon, the World Trade Center, and the USS Cole Naval warship. But, when looking outside the U.S. and it’s interests, one will find that terrorists will not only attack transportation, infrastructure, and government targets, but also so-called “soft” civilian targets. One prime example is the attack in Bali, Indonesia in 2002. This was an attack on the nightclub district of Bali. Over 200 were killed.

So, while it is important to sure up the security at high value targets- it is also important to remember that our high value targets may not be exactly the same as those of the people looking to do us harm.

With extra security being added until Monday – it is important to note that authorities say there are no specific threats related to any Miami or South Florida targets.

Primary Source: http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21005328233174/#ixzz1XVgUroNA

Let’s take a minute out to review some of the less commonly known facts about cruising, and the cruise industry. We have done many posts about this matter, and we will continue to do so because the public really needs to know what they are getting into when they set sail with the Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbeans of the world. So, without futher ado – here are some interesting cruise facts.

The most common crime committed against women on cruise ships is sexual assault. Drinking too much on a cruise ship is inevitably linked to sexual assault, with the victim often being women. It’s not just the situation where a person gets too rowdy because of having too much to drink. There are also cases of drinks being spiked by nefarious characters. Women should be especially careful while cruising.

Those who go missing on cruise ships are usually never heard from again. It seems logical that if you fall off a cruise ship – you are probably gone forever. The ship is required to make a reasonable search for anyone that falls overboard, or otherwise goes missing. However, there have been many cases where the friends and family of the missing have not been satisfied with the cruise line’s efforts.

When a crime is committed, the laws it’s subject to will vary. We just did a piece on our sister site in which a woman went missing while serving as staff on a Disney cruise. She was British, serving on a Disney cruise in the U.S. But, Disney cruises are registered in the Bahamas, so that is the country primarily responsible for the search. .

If you’re involved in a crime, you should find out whether it will be reported to federal or local authorities. If the crime is not being reported at all, you can still report it yourself.

Most cruise lines are foreign-flagged ships. This means that they may be primarily governed by the laws of those counties. They may be subject to only some U.S. laws.

The cruise industry spends big money lobbying governments. It is reported that the industry spent $2.9 million on federal lobbying during one 18-month period. This leads many to believe that oversight of the industry is purposely lax. Cruise lines are accused of pollution and covering up crimes. Many believe that they are able to get away with it by greasing the pockets of politicians.